If not for Peninnah 1 Sam 1: 1-10
Introduction
First Samuel opens with the story of Elkanah and his family. The Bible says he was from the hill country of Ephraim, he was son of Jeroham and perhaps more importantly, that he had two wives. One was Peninnah, the other was Hannah. Instructively, these names are significant regarding how the situation of this family would turn out. The name Peninnah was derived from pearl, that beautiful of stones, her name means beauty, while Hannah’s means favour. As you are reading this today, I am here to assure you, as long as you are on the path of righteousness, even though there are people who have more beautiful background than you, even though your rivals are better dressed and are beautiful to behold physically, because you have the favour of God, you will fulfil your destiny in Jesus name.
Peninnah had children, sons and daughters, while Hannah was desperate for one. So, what do you do when things are going well for your adversaries, what do you do when you seem to be taking one step forward and three steps backwards? Here was Hannah, desperate for one child while Hannah had at least four children, without having to pray year after year before she conceived each of them. You need to tell yourself and people around you: there is a reason for my delay, but my delay is not denial.
In this message, we will be examining a few lessons we can learn from the story of this family.
Lesson Number 1:
You can have emotion; but don’t let your emotion have you
There is nothing wrong in being emotional, but there is everything wrong in your emotion consuming you. Elkanah and his family were devout servants of the Lord, worshippers of God, people who fear God and reverence him. They attended the annual feasts required by the Law of Moses as prescribed in the book of Exodus, and every year they would go to Shiloh, situated between Bethel and Shechem. I don’t know how far their home was to Shiloh but it must have been some distance, yet, they did not let the distance dampen their zeal in seeking the face of God. At Shiloh, the notorious sons of Eli were priests, but they did not let that deter them from worshipping there every year. Many of us need to learn some lesson from the zeal and the determination of this family to go for worship, especially Hannah, who seemed not to be getting anything in return. I am urging you to keep on keeping on with God, and the great rewarder who rewarded Hannah will reward you in Jesus name.
At Shiloh, they would offer sacrifice unto the Lord. Typically at such sacrifice, the blood of the bull would be poured at the base of alter, its breast and right shoulder reserved for the priest, while as Levites, the rest of the meat would be for the consumption of the Elkanah household. The Bible says Elkanah would give a worthy or double portion of the meat to Hannah, but for Hannah, this wasn’t even near what she was seeking from God. She knew that the kingdom of God is not just a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) She also knew that while it is good to be loved by her husband, the love of man has severe limitations, as Isaiah 40:6-8 points out: All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.
Hannah knew that nothing compares with the love of God, while some trust in chariots and horses; she put her trust firmly in the name of the Lord. Remember what the Bible says about trusting the Lord in Psalms 125:1? Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. Brethren, sometimes, not even your husband can feel your pain. Hannah was jealous, confused, frustrated. Even though she was a woman of God, a pious person, she still had emotions, and as long as she channelled those emotions towards seeking God, she didn’t miss her destiny. Even though you are human, where you channel your emotions will determine how far you go. Hannah did not participate in all the wining and dining, all the dancing and romping, she would stand up and go praying, in other words, she separated herself. A time of separation is the time of consecration, a time of communing and communicating with God.
If you were Hannah, you probably would want to partake in the eating before partaking in prayer. But Hannah knew the importance of separation. Remember that Jesus often separated himself from the disciples and from the pressing multitudes to go praying to His father, knowing that prayer is the oil that fuels the spirit. Before Jacob wrestled all night with the angel of God, a duel that led to his name being changed from Jacob to Israel, he took leave of his family. Take time to separate yourself unto the Lord, and He will set you apart from your rivals.
Lesson Number 2:
A closed womb is not the same as bareness
There is a difference between a close womb and bareness. If you look closely at different bible translations, none use the term bareness. Some said the Lord had shut her womb, God had not given her children or God had closed her womb. In other words, Hannah wasn’t barren, her womb was merely shut. The dictionary defines bareness as someone who is incapable of producing offspring; being sterile. Peninnah made two big mistakes in dealing with Hannah.
1. Penninah’s first mistake: She thought Hannah was barren. There are some people who thought you are barren, believing that nothing good can come out of you, they thought you will not make progress, but God will surprise them in Jesus name.
2. Penninah’s second mistake: She thought repeated provocation would distract Hannah and make her lose focus and come after her while taking her eyes off God. Many of us have been distracted by provocation; we keep trying focus on those distractions and not the Lord! In the process we may miss our destiny. If you try responding to every provocation, every taunting, you will not even have time to pray.
Hannah’s closed womb was a deliberate act of God to display His glory in the life of Hannah. Your delayed prosperity, your delayed breakthrough, your delayed deliverance is not bareness, but a closed womb, closed by God so that when the delay is over, you will know that your breakthrough is not by your own power or might, but by the grace of God.
Lesson Number 3:
Peninnah’s provocation was pre-ordained by heaven
The Bible says Peninnah provoked Hannah. Why? Because she had children and Hannah had none, because she saw herself as being up in a lofty position and Hannah down in the dungeon. She saw herself at an advantageous position, while Hannah was disadvantaged. There are people who thought they are ahead of you in different areas of life, but you need to let them know that God is taking you higher in Jesus name. You are running your own race, you are not in competition with anyone, and as you keep your gaze focused on Jesus, he will multiply you in Jesus name.
What Peninnah didn’t know was that it was God who was behind the provocation that it was God who was pulling the strings from behind a curtain and she Peninnah was merely a tool in the hand of God. Brothers and Sisters, your ability to ignore provocation is an excellent Christian trait that must be developed. Did you notice that Hannah did not even address Peninnah or exchange words with her? She bit her lower lip and went to God in prayer! When Sennacherib the King of Assyria threatened King Hezekiah and his people in Jerusalem, the Bible says the King instructed his people not to respond to the threats but the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him." (Isa 36:21) This is not something many of us will do.
The provocation went on year after year; still year after year when they went to Shiloh to pray. Hannah was not discouraged despite the delay in receiving answer from God. And she kept on going to Shiloh with her family that includes Peninnah, her tormentor. If you were Hannah, you will probably tell your husband to choose between you and Peninnah; that you would not go with him to Shiloh if Peninnah was a member of the entourage. But you need to know that there are some people you can’t get away from, such as family members, colleagues at work, even people at church! You need to learn how to keep your focus around them when all they wanted to do is frustrate you!
For Hannah, God was working in the background. God prepared Peninnah to provoke Hannah, that is why you need to thank God for Peninnah, because if not for her, you will still be on the same mountain. If not for her, you will still be content doing the same things you are doing. You may think your closed womb is a curse, but before the end of this year u will know that it was designed by God to take you to higher grounds!
Lesson Number 4:
Peninnah’s provocation provoked Hannah to Action
You will probably agree with me that many of us would never pray if we don’t face particular difficulties. Hannah’s prayer was initiated by God who was looking for a righteous family to bless. At that time the judgeship was coming to an end, the priesthood was waning as a centre piece of God’s communication with man, and God was stepping up His plans to birth a new system.
And here was Peninnah, taunting Hannah, being annoying, and generally making Hannah feel uncomfortable. What was Hannah’s reaction? She stood up and approached God in prayers (1 Sam 1:9-10). Her prayer was determined, focused, specific (she didn’t ask for just any baby, but for a baby boy), fervent, heartfelt and desperate.
She prayed in the bitterness of soul, reaching down genuinely from within her soul, pouring out her heart unto God. And her prayer was a prayer of vow: God if you will give me a baby boy, I will give him back to you, Lord, I just want to be a steward, this boy will be yours. How awesome! Her prayer was so deep that Eli the priest thought she was drunk, not knowing that she was drunk in the Holy Spirit. (Ep 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit) Eli pronounced the favour of God upon her, and she went home to lay with her husband, and the Lord remembered her and opened her womb. The Lord that remembered Hannah in Shiloh will remember you in Jesus name, He will remember your labour of love, He will remember your righteous living, He will remember your sacrifice.
Lesson Number 5:
The closing of Hannah’s Womb was for a reason and a season
The Bible describes Peninnah as Hannah’s adversary and in 1 Corinthians 16:9 4, the Bible talks about a great and effectual door being opened, and there are many adversaries. There is no doubt that God wants you to go through the open door but He wants to help you deal with the adversaries before opening your eyes to see the effectual door, otherwise you may be attacked by the adversaries before you can even get near the door, not to talk of going through it.
All the while her womb was closed because God was preparing her for an epoch making situation, a new thing, a great thing. And when finally the one who closes a door and no one can open, the one who is able to open a door that has been fused shut opened her womb, Samuel came forth. Samuel was greater, more favoured and more intelligent than all the children of Peninnah put together! Those who had their breakthrough 20 years ago think you can never catch up with them, but your miracles will be greater than theirs in Jesus name. Those who thought you will forever remain beneath them in all areas of life; God the great provider will put them to shame.
1 Samuel 2:26 says the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the LORD and with men, almost the same words used to describe Jesus in Luke 2:52: And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men. Your child will grow up as a child of favour, not just with men, but with God. Samuel was a Levite by birth but Nazarite by consecration. At the time of his birth, the condition of Israel was deplorable; the nation had no recognised leader, the Bible says every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Then Samuel appeared on the scene, the straight talking, clear seeing judge, priest and prophet. He anointed Saul and David, when Saul refused to kill King Agag as instructed by God, he took the sword and nailed the King himself and pronounced on Saul that the kingdom would be taken from him.
Following the birth of Samuel, everything changed for Israel. My prayer for you today is that God will use your children to bring change to your nation in Jesus name. Samuel was regarded as a second Moses, the deliverer and guide of the people of God at time of a great national crisis. Samuel delivered the nation from the hand of the Philistines, as Moses led them out of Egypt. He opened up for them a new national era of progress and order under the rule of the kings. Like Moses he closed the old order and established a new one, he terminated the judgeship and introduced the kingship. He initiated the prophet hood to replace the waning priesthood in speaking for God. Although Moses was a prophet, it was Samuel that first occupied the office of prophet. His record was not marred by any act of evil and no there was word unworthy of his office or calling. His record was without spot or wrinkle; he was blameless, righteous and upright. Awesome!
You begin to wonder, if Peninnah had not provoked Hannah, maybe she would have been satisfied, after all her husband still loved her! Maybe she wouldn’t go to God in bitterness of soul and asked for Samuel. If Pharaoh had not been horrible to Israelites in Egypt, maybe they would just keep on managing to live in bondage. If the walls and the gates of Jerusalem had not been burned, Nehemiah would probably have remained in Babylonian exile as the cup bearer to the King. If Peter had caught fish in the Lake of Gennesaret, Jesus wouldn’t have told him to launch into the deep and he would have died fishing, not as a fisher of men and a renowned apostle who delivered that powerful message of redemption on the day of Pentecost.
Conclusion
Who had the last laugh? Peninnah or Hannah? Hannah of course. You will outlast and out laugh your adversary in Jesus name. Was there any record of Peninnah beyond first Samuel Chapter One? The Bible did not even record the names of her sons and daughters. Her purpose in God’s plan was to goad Hannah to her destiny and once her purpose was fulfilled, that was it, and her time of influence was over. There are people God brings your way to help you to get you to where God wants to take you, people who you came into your life to bring you down not knowing that what they meant for bad, God meant it for good. Like the Bible says in Isaiah 41:11-12, 50:8-9, when their purpose is fulfilled, you will see them no more! Peninnah turned out to be just a footnote of history, while Hannah was recorded as one of the headlines of history; she was remembered by God, remembered in the scripture as a virtuous praying woman who birthed a great prophet.
Hannah persevered in prayers and God opened her womb. You may be experiencing delays, but God is preparing to birth something great through you. If it is God that shut the door of opportunities, He is surely able to reopen it. Today, God is about to open your womb, your Samuel is on the way, your Samuel of prosperity, of good jobs, of great health, if you believe that say I receive it in Jesus name. Your life is about to change!
